Our View: Cyclists and drivers must learn to share the road

As the summer is upon us, cyclists once again take to our trails and roads. This occurs even as our narrow roadways are becoming increasingly overtaxed with oversized vehicles. Thus, it is an apt time for reiterating just how and why we need to share the roads.

As the summer is upon us, cyclists once again take to our trails and roads. This occurs even as our narrow roadways are becoming increasingly overtaxed with oversized vehicles. Thus, it is an apt time for reiterating just how and why we need to share the roads.

Cyclists should understand that they are, from a legal standpoint, the same as any other vehicle on the road. Thus, they should travel with, rather than against, the traffic, and should abide by the same rules as any other vehicle. This includes stopping at stop signs, signaling when turning and remaining aware that pedestrians have the right of way.

That last element often proves problematic for some cyclists, who would like to believe that they can enjoy the privileges of pedestrians when it comes to sidewalks and crosswalks — that oncoming motorized traffic should stop when they are in the crosswalk. The fact is, however, cyclists are not considered pedestrians unless they dismount and walk their bikes across the street.

Most cyclists seem to understand this and either choose to wait until there are no vehicles coming and ride across or get off their bikes and trek to the other side of the road. A handful of cyclists, however, seem bent on having it both ways, sometimes causing near collisions or worse.

Automobile drivers, too, should pay extra attention to the roadways around them. Just as the number of cars climbs during the warmer months, so too do the number of walkers and cyclists.

Not every crosswalk is well-marked, but one can be relatively confident that town centers and areas near schools, parks and playgrounds are more likely to have elevated levels of pedestrian traffic. There is no law against being cautious.

Likewise, drivers need to learn to share the road with other vehicles and bicycles. This is especially important when one vehicle is attempting to overtake a bicyclist. Vehicles traveling in the unobstructed lane generally have the right of way, and those who are slowed by a bicyclist must learn the art of patience. Trying to squeeze between the bicyclist on the right and an oncoming vehicle on the left is too dangerous on narrow roads.

Drivers should also heed the signs of the road. A yield sign means just that: Yield to prevailing traffic.

Although most of these rules have been with us for some time, technology has thrown another wrinkle into the mix. Although the dangers of texting and driving have been well-documented, a texting driver is more than 20 times more likely to be in an accident than a nontexting driver. Pedestrians, in particular, sometimes appear oblivious to their surroundings, a dangerous approach regardless of whether you are behind the wheel.

In the end, common courtesy should be the universal approach when it comes to sharing the road. We all have to use them, so we might as well try to enjoy the ride.